If you are like most people, you spend about a third of your life at work. For better or worse, the relationship that coworkers have with one another is an important one. It can affect the success of the business as well as the job satisfaction and advancement of the people within that organization.

Unfortunately, both personal and professional conflicts can happen at work. Sometimes they can get so out of hand that important work does not get done. One worker may get so upset and frustrated with another worker that they endanger those around them. Fortunately, there are companies that can provide de-escalation training for your whole team.

What is involved in training?

De-escalation training will generally be offered by a conflict management company. You can decide to offer the classes to everyone in the company or simply to the managers. 

You will be taught how to recognize the signs of an aggressive person and how to protect yourself emotionally. The trainer will go over how to talk to people who are in a highly emotional state and teach you how to calm them down. they will provide instructions on how to phrase what you want to say as well as the best tone to use. 

The Origin of Conflict Management 

The concept of conflict management is the process of eliminating or greatly reducing conflict between people. It originated with a study by researchers Robert R. Blake and Jane Mouton who were studying business management styles. They determined there were five basic styles of management.

• Forcing 
• Withdrawing 
• Smoothing 
• Compromising
•  Problem-Solving

In the 70s and 80s, researchers started to explore conflict management in the workplace. They applied the five basic styles of management to conflict resolution. They determined that problem-solving, which involves being highly assertive and highly cooperative, was the most effective style of conflict management.

The Goals of De-Escalation Training 

The goal of any de-escalation effort should be to resolve problems without punishing an employee or using physical force. Law enforcement officers use some of the same techniques that are used in offices. It is a good idea to have multiple people in the company trained in conflict management and de-escalation. 

In extreme cases, a work conflict can result in violence. Disgruntled employees have been known to open fire in offices or make threats against managers or employees. 

De-escalation may be used on a person who has mental health issues. This can be particularly challenging in an office setting because a manager may not have been aware of those issues. In other cases, a person may be in a state of altered reality.

You will learn when the office staff can handle a situation and when it is a good idea to call the police. 

You will learn how to establish a rapport with people of all different personality types and study a bit about talking to people from different cultures. They will also advise you how to talk to people who may be mentally ill. 

A good de-escalation class will teach you how to use the Cognitive Triangle to your advantage. The triangle concerns the way our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are intertwined. The theory of this triangle asserts that our thoughts influence our feelings which end up affecting our behaviors. TEB training will show you how to tell if a person with escalated emotions is in a state of crisis, conflict, or simply contaminated thinking.

You Will Learn How to Deal With Your Own Bias

One thing that can be hard to deal with in any office situation is learning how to talk to people from other cultural backgrounds or social classes. Unfortunately, people tend to side with individuals with whom they have the most in common. De-Escalation training will teach you how to deal with everyone fairly and impartially. 

The Seven Phases of the Escalation Cycle

One thing that any good de-escalation training will include is the seven phases of escalation that can take place when a conflict arises. Knowing what they are in advance will give you a jump start on the training.

1. The Calm Phase

You can resolve this type of conflict with quiet conversation in a place where there are no distractions. You may want to let the person who is upset take a time out at this point.

2. The Triggering Phase 

This is the phase where a particular incident will escalate a conflict. You will want to employ anger management skills in a situation like this.

3. The Agitation Phase

The agitation phase can be fairly slow and hard to pinpoint. A person in this phase may have trouble sitting still. When a person is in this stage, you will want to show them empathy and offer them choices for resolving the conflict.

4. The Acceleration Phase

At this stage, a person may be out of control. They may start yelling or becoming physically violent. You will want to use a calm steady voice and you may want to call security or even the police.

5. The Peak

This is the stage where a person’s behavior may be a threat to others. You will want to get the other workers and yourself to safety. You should contact the police at this stage.

6. De Escalating the Situation

This may be the stage where you have managed to de-escalate the conflict or where the situation resolves itself. You will want to give everyone a chance to relax and calm down. You should try not to blame anyone for the escalation and just make sure everything is alright.

7. The Recovery Stage

At this stage, you will have a meeting where people can discuss their concerns. You may want to offer therapy and classes for people who were present during the incident.

According to Pollack Peacebuilding Systems, managing conflict can be one of the hardest parts of a supervisor’s job. Learning how to de-escalate an upsetting situation can make everything better.